March 10, 2003
Release Number: 03-03-16


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


COALITION CONTINUES INFO CAMPAIGN; DROPS NEARLY 1 MILLION LEAFLETS

SOUTHWEST ASIA – Coalition aircraft dropped nearly 1 million informational leaflets in southern Iraq today. The drops were part of an ongoing effort to protect Iraqi lives and deter Iraqi aggression by providing relevant, factual information to both Iraqi civilians and military troops.

Coalition aircraft dropped the leaflets – a total of approximately 900,000 – over several locations south of Baghdad. Most of the locations were concentrated in the southeastern corner of the nation, around the city of Al Basrah, which is approximately 250 miles southeast of Baghdad.

The Coalition dropped eight versions of leaflets that expressed a variety of messages. Among the messages was assurance that the Coalition does not wish to harm civilians or national landmarks. One leaflet type provided information about Coalition radio broadcasts on topics ranging from United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441 to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s regime. One leaflet type warned Iraqi troops not to use weapons of mass destruction, while another contrasted Saddam Hussein’s wealth with the poverty in which many Iraqis live.

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